Abstract
Objectives: The prevalence of nomophobia, defined as the fear of disconnecting from the mobile phone connection, has increased with the excessive use of mobile phones. Nomophobia is known to lead to various psychological problems such as low self-esteem, extroverted personality, social phobia, social anxiety and panic disorder, as well as unhealthy eating behaviors. For this reason, it is stated that it is important to raise awareness about the possible harms of excessive smartphone use and to inform all age groups.
Methods: This study was conducted on university students between the ages of 18-30, who are smartphone users and whose smartphone usage time is at least 1 hour per day. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the participants using a questionnaire form. “24-hour Dietary Recall” was used to determine the daily nutrients consumption levels of the students; ‘Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q)’ was used to determine nomophobia levels; and ‘Mindful Eating Questionnaire-MEQ’ was used to evaluate eating awareness.
Results: The study included 622 participants (48.2% female; mean age: 19.2 ± 2.0 years). Higher nomophobia levels were significantly associated with lower mindful eating scores (p < 0.001), and a negative correlation was observed between the two variables. Additionally, it has been determined that the energy coming from fat in individuals' daily energy intake is above the recommended levels and has an unbalanced distribution.
Conclusion: This study revealed that increased nomophobia levels in university students are associated with decreased eating awareness and unbalanced eating patterns. The findings indicate that smartphone addiction may have adverse effects on eating behaviors and that this relationship should be addressed more comprehensively in terms of public health.
Ethical Statement
This study was approved by Suleyman Demirel University Health Sciences Ethics Committee Subcommittee with the letter dated 05/11/2024, numbered 09/83. All stages of the study were conducted within the framework of ethical rules.
Supporting Institution
YOK
Thanks
YOK
References
- Bhattacharya S, Bashar A, Srivastava A, Sing, A. NOMOPHOBIA: NO MObile PHone PhoBIA. J Family Med Prim Care 2019; 8: 1297-1300.
- Bragazzi L, Del Puente G. A proposal for including nomophobia in the new DSM-V. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2014; 7: 155-160.
- Banerjee I, Robinson J, Kashyap A, Sathian B. Nomophobia: An emerging problem. Nepal J Epidemiol 2023; 13: 1285-1287.
- Uzun MH, Kuyumcu MS. The Effects of AVNRT Ablation on the Conduction System. Eskisehir Medical Journal. March 2025; 6: 56-60.
- Binvin J, Mathew P, Thulasi C, Philip J. Nomophobia-do we really need to worry about. Reviews of Progress 2013; 1: 1-5.
- León MC, Gutiérrez-Ortega M, Serrano-Pintado I, González-Cabrera J. A systematic review on nomophobia prevalence: Surfacing results and standard guidelines for future research. PLoS One 2021; 16: e0250509.
- Lu X, Liu T, Liu X, Yang H, Elhai JD. Nomophobia and relationships with latent classes of solitude. Bull Menninger Clin 2022; 86: 1-19.
- Rodríguez GM, Moreno-Guerrero, AJ, López Belmonte J. Nomophobia: An Individual's Growing Fear of Being without a Smartphone-A Systematic Literature Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17: 580.
- Kim H, Pae M. Lifestyle, Dietary Behavior and Snack Preference of Upper-grade Elementary School Students in Cheongju according to the Usage Time of Smartphones. Korean J Community Nutr 2017; 22: 40-52.
- Tayhan KF, Yabancı A. Relationship between eating disorders and internet and smartphone addiction in college students. Eat Weight Disord 2021; 26: 1853-1862.
- Wang J, Hao H, Peng W, Tu Y, Zhang L, Zhu TM. Relationship between smartphone addiction and eating disorders and lifestyle among Chinese college students. Front Public Health 2023; 11: 1111477.
- Yildirim C, Correia, AP. Exploring the dimensions of nomophobia: Development and validation of a self-reported questionnaire. Computers in Human Behavior 2015; 49: 130-137.
- Framson C, Kristal R, Schenk JM, Littman AJ, Zeliadt S, Benitez D. Development and validation of the mindful eating questionnaire. J Am Diet Assoc 2009; 109: 1439-1444.
- Köse G, Tayfur M, Birincioğlu İ, Dönmez A. Yeme Farkındalığı Ölçeği’ni Türkçeye Uyarlama Çalışması. Bilişsel Davranışçı Psikoterapi ve Araştırmalar Dergisi 2016; 3: 125-134.
- Örnek Y, Gündoğmuş İ. The Effects of Smartphone and Internet Gaming Addiction on Eating Attitudes Among University Students. Psychiatry Investig 2022; 19: 1-8.
- Farooqui A, Prasad P, Gothankar J. Nomophobia: an emerging issue in medical institutions? Journal of Mental Health 2018; 27: 438-441.
- Dixit S, Shukla H, Bhagwat AK, Arpita B, Abhilasha G, Zaidi AK, Shrivastava A. A Study to Evaluate Mobile Phone Dependence Among Students of a Medical College and Associated Hospital of Central India. Indian Journal of Community Medicine 2010; 35: 339-341.
- Notara V, Vagka E, Gnardellis C, Lagiou A. The Emerging Phenomenon of Nomophobia in Young Adults: A Systematic Review Study. Addict Health 2021; 13: 120-136.
- Rahme C, Hallit, R, Akel M, Chalhoub C, Hachem M, Hallit S, Obeid S. Nomophobia and temperaments in Lebanon: Results of a national study. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2022; 58: 1607-1612.
- Vitale E, Mae R. Comorbidity, Eating Behaviors and Smartphone Addiction in Italian Nurses' Characteristics. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24: 1431-1444.
- Lima R, Amorim BI, Orlando DR, Pereira LJ, Castelo PM, Andrade EF. Smartphone dependence predicts poorer mental health outcomes, eating behaviors, activity levels, and body image: A cluster analysis of Brazilian university students. Trends Psychiatry Psychother 2024.
- Yılmaz HÖ, Meriç ÇS, Türkkan T. Is problematic use of the Internet and smartphone predictor of unhealthy eating behaviors and abnormal body weight in Turkish young adults? J Health Psychol 2025; 30: 186-198.
- Lian Q, Mao, Y, Luo S, Zhang S, Tu X, Zuo X, Lou X, Zhou W. Puberty timing associated with obesity and central obesity in Chinese Han girls. BMC Pediatr 2019; 19: 1.
- Çelik ÇB, Odacı H, Bayraktar N. Is problematic internet use an indicator of eating disorders among Turkish university students? Eat Weight Disord 2015; 20: 167-172.
- Kożybska M, Kurpisz, J, Radlińska I, Skwirczyńska E, Serwin N, Zabielska P, et al. Problematic Internet Use, health behaviors, depression and eating disorders: a cross-sectional study among Polish medical school students. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2022; 21: 5.
Abstract
Amaç: Cep telefonu bağlantısından kopma korkusu olarak tanımlanan nomofobinin yaygınlığı, akıllı telefonların aşırı kullanımıyla birlikte artmıştır. Nomofobinin sağlıksız beslenme davranışlarına yol açtığı bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinde nomofobi ve yeme farkındalığı arasındaki ilişkileri inceleyerek mobil cihaz bağımlılığının yeme farkındalığı ve beslenme durumu üzerindeki etkilerini anlamaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışma, akıllı telefon kullanıcısı olan ve akıllı telefon kullanım süresi günde en az 1 saat olan 18-30 yaş aralığındaki üniversite öğrencileri üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Veriler, katılımcılarla anket formu kullanılarak yüz yüze görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmıştır. Öğrencilerin günlük besin tüketim düzeylerini belirlemek amacıyla “24 Saatlik Geriye Dönük Besin Tüketim Kaydı”; nomofobi düzeylerini belirlemek amacıyla ‘Nomofobi Anketi’; yeme farkındalığını değerlendirmek amacıyla ‘Yeme Farkındalığı Anketi’ kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya 622 katılımcı (kadın %48,2; yaş ortalaması: 19,2 ± 2,0 yıl) katılmıştır. Daha yüksek nomofobi düzeyleri daha düşük yeme farkındalığı puanlarıyla anlamlı şekilde ilişkili bulunmuştur (p<0,001) ve iki değişken arasında negatif korelasyon gözlenmiştir. Ayrıca bireylerin günlük enerji alımlarında yağdan gelen enerjinin önerilen seviyelerin üzerinde olduğu ve dengesiz bir dağılıma sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir.
Sonuç: Bu çalışma, üniversite öğrencilerinde artan nomofobi düzeylerinin, azalan yeme farkındalığı ve dengesiz yeme düzenleriyle ilişkili olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bulgular, akıllı telefon bağımlılığının yeme davranışları üzerinde olumsuz etkileri olabileceğini ve bu ilişkinin halk sağlığı açısından daha kapsamlı bir şekilde ele alınması gerektiğini göstermektedir.
Ethical Statement
Bu çalışma, 05/11/2024 tarihli ve 09/83 sayılı yazı ile Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Etik Kurulu Alt Komisyonu tarafından onaylanmıştır. Çalışmanın tüm aşamaları etik kurallar çerçevesinde yürütülmüştür.
Supporting Institution
Yok
Thanks
Yok
References
- Bhattacharya S, Bashar A, Srivastava A, Sing, A. NOMOPHOBIA: NO MObile PHone PhoBIA. J Family Med Prim Care 2019; 8: 1297-1300.
- Bragazzi L, Del Puente G. A proposal for including nomophobia in the new DSM-V. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2014; 7: 155-160.
- Banerjee I, Robinson J, Kashyap A, Sathian B. Nomophobia: An emerging problem. Nepal J Epidemiol 2023; 13: 1285-1287.
- Uzun MH, Kuyumcu MS. The Effects of AVNRT Ablation on the Conduction System. Eskisehir Medical Journal. March 2025; 6: 56-60.
- Binvin J, Mathew P, Thulasi C, Philip J. Nomophobia-do we really need to worry about. Reviews of Progress 2013; 1: 1-5.
- León MC, Gutiérrez-Ortega M, Serrano-Pintado I, González-Cabrera J. A systematic review on nomophobia prevalence: Surfacing results and standard guidelines for future research. PLoS One 2021; 16: e0250509.
- Lu X, Liu T, Liu X, Yang H, Elhai JD. Nomophobia and relationships with latent classes of solitude. Bull Menninger Clin 2022; 86: 1-19.
- Rodríguez GM, Moreno-Guerrero, AJ, López Belmonte J. Nomophobia: An Individual's Growing Fear of Being without a Smartphone-A Systematic Literature Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17: 580.
- Kim H, Pae M. Lifestyle, Dietary Behavior and Snack Preference of Upper-grade Elementary School Students in Cheongju according to the Usage Time of Smartphones. Korean J Community Nutr 2017; 22: 40-52.
- Tayhan KF, Yabancı A. Relationship between eating disorders and internet and smartphone addiction in college students. Eat Weight Disord 2021; 26: 1853-1862.
- Wang J, Hao H, Peng W, Tu Y, Zhang L, Zhu TM. Relationship between smartphone addiction and eating disorders and lifestyle among Chinese college students. Front Public Health 2023; 11: 1111477.
- Yildirim C, Correia, AP. Exploring the dimensions of nomophobia: Development and validation of a self-reported questionnaire. Computers in Human Behavior 2015; 49: 130-137.
- Framson C, Kristal R, Schenk JM, Littman AJ, Zeliadt S, Benitez D. Development and validation of the mindful eating questionnaire. J Am Diet Assoc 2009; 109: 1439-1444.
- Köse G, Tayfur M, Birincioğlu İ, Dönmez A. Yeme Farkındalığı Ölçeği’ni Türkçeye Uyarlama Çalışması. Bilişsel Davranışçı Psikoterapi ve Araştırmalar Dergisi 2016; 3: 125-134.
- Örnek Y, Gündoğmuş İ. The Effects of Smartphone and Internet Gaming Addiction on Eating Attitudes Among University Students. Psychiatry Investig 2022; 19: 1-8.
- Farooqui A, Prasad P, Gothankar J. Nomophobia: an emerging issue in medical institutions? Journal of Mental Health 2018; 27: 438-441.
- Dixit S, Shukla H, Bhagwat AK, Arpita B, Abhilasha G, Zaidi AK, Shrivastava A. A Study to Evaluate Mobile Phone Dependence Among Students of a Medical College and Associated Hospital of Central India. Indian Journal of Community Medicine 2010; 35: 339-341.
- Notara V, Vagka E, Gnardellis C, Lagiou A. The Emerging Phenomenon of Nomophobia in Young Adults: A Systematic Review Study. Addict Health 2021; 13: 120-136.
- Rahme C, Hallit, R, Akel M, Chalhoub C, Hachem M, Hallit S, Obeid S. Nomophobia and temperaments in Lebanon: Results of a national study. Perspect Psychiatr Care 2022; 58: 1607-1612.
- Vitale E, Mae R. Comorbidity, Eating Behaviors and Smartphone Addiction in Italian Nurses' Characteristics. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets 2024; 24: 1431-1444.
- Lima R, Amorim BI, Orlando DR, Pereira LJ, Castelo PM, Andrade EF. Smartphone dependence predicts poorer mental health outcomes, eating behaviors, activity levels, and body image: A cluster analysis of Brazilian university students. Trends Psychiatry Psychother 2024.
- Yılmaz HÖ, Meriç ÇS, Türkkan T. Is problematic use of the Internet and smartphone predictor of unhealthy eating behaviors and abnormal body weight in Turkish young adults? J Health Psychol 2025; 30: 186-198.
- Lian Q, Mao, Y, Luo S, Zhang S, Tu X, Zuo X, Lou X, Zhou W. Puberty timing associated with obesity and central obesity in Chinese Han girls. BMC Pediatr 2019; 19: 1.
- Çelik ÇB, Odacı H, Bayraktar N. Is problematic internet use an indicator of eating disorders among Turkish university students? Eat Weight Disord 2015; 20: 167-172.
- Kożybska M, Kurpisz, J, Radlińska I, Skwirczyńska E, Serwin N, Zabielska P, et al. Problematic Internet Use, health behaviors, depression and eating disorders: a cross-sectional study among Polish medical school students. Ann Gen Psychiatry 2022; 21: 5.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Nutritional Science |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | June 30, 2025 |
| Submission Date | May 4, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | June 3, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 16 Issue: 2 |
Cite
e-ISSN: 2149-8296
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